Cybersecurity researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have helped close a security vulnerability that could have allowed hackers to steal encryption keys from a popular security package by briefly listening in on unintended “side channel” signals from smartphones.

Not only can your smartphone serve as your wallet, watch and map, it can also be your digital security blanket. In a new study led by the University of California, Irvine, researchers found that when people are in awkward social situations, having their phones with them offers comfort and helps relieve feelings of isolation.

Does digital eyestrain cause lasting damage? Should children use reading or computer glasses? As kids go back to school this month for more time with screens and books, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is arming parents with the facts, so they can make informed choices about their children’s eye health.

Rutgers University–New Brunswick engineers have created a smart wristband with a wireless connection to smartphones that will enable a new wave of personal health and environmental monitoring devices. Their technology, which could be added to watches and other wearable devices that monitor heart rates and physical activity, is detailed in a study published online in Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced a $200,000 award today to Plurilock Security Solutions, Inc. to develop an identity management (IdM) platform to improve the security capabilities of smart devices, sensors and other devices that connect and operate across the cybersphere.

A team of University of Iowa researchers built a web-based app called MapTrek. When synced with a Fitbit, MapTrek allows users to go on virtual walking tours of locations such as the Grand Canyon or Appalachian trail while competing against other users. A study showed MapTrek and Fitbit users averaged 2,200 more steps per day than a control group that used only Fitbits.

People who text while driving are six times more likely to be involved in a car crash. To combat this problem, more and more states are adopting driving laws that require people to use hands-free devices in the car. Yet a new study shows that many drivers are still willing to take the risk, as ‘fear of missing out’ and separation anxiety keep them from abiding by the law. The study, published in Risk Analysis: An International Journal, reveals that many drivers don’t perceive texting and driving to be dangerous in certain driving scenarios.

With a simple barcode scan, free new mobile app FoodSwitch -- developed by Northwestern University researchers -- will suggest healthier alternatives to the typical fat-, salt- and sugar- laden packaged foods on grocery store shelves.
If a particular food is not listed in 268,000-product database, the food can be quickly added to the app in real time through crowdsourcing. Packaged food manufacturers change products frequently, and FoodSwitch can quickly track how well they are reducing sodium, added sugars or saturated fats in their foods.